Polo, the sport of kings Polo has long been viewed as a sport for kings, aristrocrats and the very rich, despite the game’s savage origins.  According to legend, the game springs from the  Mongol invaders’ habit of batting around the decapitated heads of  vanquished enemies while on horseback. It can be presumed that this had … Continue Reading →

Walter Hagen holds the cup after winning his third British Open in 1928. The cup was presented by the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VIII and even later the Duke of Windsor. His obituary read “He’s in golf to live–not to make a living.” But Walter Hagen proved he could do both. He dominated … Continue Reading →

Greenberg was 19 when he signed with the Tigers in 1930. He can be seen in the second row from top, second from left, in this spring training photo taken March 23, 1930. Charlie Gehringer is third from right in the second row (seated) and Billy Rogell is fifth from left in the first row. … Continue Reading →

Pitcher Lynwood “Schoolboy” Rowe embraces his sweetheart, Edna May Skinner, in this 1934 photo. “Pitchers, like poets, are born, not made.” — Cy Young When Lynwood Rowe was 15 years old, he pitched against a team of former major league players and beat them. They were both embarrassed and disgusted. “Beaten by a schoolboy”, they … Continue Reading →

Sydney Howe (no relation to Gordie) is carried off the ice on the shoulders of his teammates after he scored a record 6 goals in one game Feb. 3, 1944. On April 14, 1955, Detroit Red Wings goalie Terry Sawchuk held off the Montreal Canadiens, playing without their star, Maurice (Rocket) Richard, who had been … Continue Reading →

Harwell’s articulate, melodious Georgia drawl has been described as “a smooth ride on the river of baseball’s heritage.”       “On warm humid nights through transistors and earphones, they whisper to us — like lovers across a pillow. On hot sunny days, through stereo speakers in the back ofthe car, they shout at us … Continue Reading →

Residents of Manistique Ave. between Korte and Scripps turn out to watch neighborhood kids in Golden Gloves preliminary bouts on a warm late summer evening in 1939. The Detroit News obituary page of Nov. 5. 1997,  noted the deaths of two elderly Detroit men, each a stranger to the other but each with a common … Continue Reading →

Lions quarterback Bobby Layne gets a pass away in a 1953 game. Teammate Jim David, a cornerback, said of Layne: “Bobby just had a way. He got you there. Say what you want about him and how he lived his life, but he got you there.” The 1950s were the glory days for the Detroit … Continue Reading →

Mechanic Orlin Johnson walks toward the bow of Miss America X while Gar Wood sits in the driver’s seat. This 1932 boat, Wood’s last speedboat, was the embodiment of perfection in performance. Gar Wood, whose hair turned white in his fifties, was nicknamed “The Gray Fox.” Gar Wood was only 5 feet 6 and never … Continue Reading →

One umpire said, “Hughie has a grin that echoes.” Hughie Jennings usually accompanied his “Eee-Yah” yell with a little dance. He was every bit as colorful as Sparky Anderson – a popular man with the public. Everyone liked Hughie Jennings in his days as manager of the Tigers. They called him the “Eee-Yah” man, the … Continue Reading →